The use of Earned Value as a management tool in construction: a quantitative analysis

Abstract The monitoring of project performance through indicators is a highly important management tool for organizations, and Earned Value Management (EVM) is widely used for that purpose. However, few studies have been undertaken comparing the theoretical value-added model with its practical use in the civil construction industry in Brazil. In addition, some authors argue that the theoretical foundation of EVM is misused in civil construction. The main objective of this article is to verify whether users identify any benefits from the use of EVM and to analyse the critical success factors, limitations and their use according to the profile of users, through quantitative research. The research was carried out through the application of a survey-type questionnaire, made available through the Internet, with 106 respondents (managers and construction planning technicians). The data obtained in the research was satisfactory and validated, having obtained adequate statistics from Cronbach's Alpha and Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin factor analysis tests. The results showed that the users identified benefits from using EVM, even though they still use partial EVM.

摘要 通过指标开展项目绩效监测是组织极为重要的管理手段，挣值管理（Earned Value Management，EVM）被广泛应用于此场景。然而，目前鲜有研究针对巴西土木工程行业中挣值管理的理论增值模型与实际应用开展对比分析。此外，有学者指出，挣值管理的理论基础在土木工程领域存在误用情况。本文的核心研究目标为：通过定量研究，验证使用者是否能从挣值管理的应用中获益，并结合使用者画像分析其成功关键因素、应用局限及实际使用情况。本研究通过线上发放调研问卷的方式开展，共收集到106份有效回复，受访者均为项目管理者与施工规划技术员。本研究获取的数据质量优异且通过有效性验证，克朗巴哈α系数（Cronbach's Alpha）与凯泽-迈耶-奥尔金（Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin）因子分析检验均达到合格统计标准。研究结果显示，尽管使用者目前仍仅部分应用挣值管理，但其均认可该方法带来的应用效益。